Fruit-pitting machine



' Witnesses- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. STANDISH. FRUIT FITTING MACHINE.

No. 529,817. I Patented Nov. 27,1894. I

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(NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. 'STANDISH.

PRUIT'PITTING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 27 1894.

Rama Witnesses 1;: norms FEI'ERS so, warm. 1

'NITEED STATES PATENT FFIcE.

SYRANUS STANDISH, OF GRIDLEY, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-FITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,817, dated November27, 1894. Application filed May 21,1894. Serial No. 611,974. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/eerie:

Be it known that I, SYBANUS STANDISH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Gridby a side movement of thesame knives strip the pulp from the score each way leaving it in twoparts ready for drying; also consists in a method of clampingand'holding the pit or seed while the pulp is being removed, and 1 thendischarging the former clear ofandindependent of the pulp.

My invention further includes various other functions to be hereinafterexplained and set forth, performed automatically by an organized machinethat can be driven by hand or power, constructed substantially asrepresented in the drawings herewith, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation with some of the parts removed. Fig. 2 is a front endelevation of the same machine. Fig. 3 is a partial section on the linea'c-w of Fig. 4. Fig.

4 is a plan view of the machine. Fig.5 is a detail showing the universalbearings on which the pivoted knife levers are mounted. Fig. 6 is asection through the knives or cutters on the line y-y, Fig. 1. s Similarletters of reference indicate corre sponding parts throughout.

A is a supporting frame on whichtheseveral parts of the machine aresupported, adapted to stand on a bench or table A Power is applied tothe machine by a crank B when operated by hand, or by a pulley on theshaft B' if the machine is to be driven by power. Motion is impartedfrom this shaft to the parallel one B the two transverse shafts B B andthe vertical one B, by means of tooth wheels 0 O C O O O and 0 as willbe hereinaftermore fullyexplained.

Arranged centrally in the machine are four levers being pivotallysupported, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to be capable of movement at andare operated in their their outer ends'in all planes. The pivotal oruniversal joint, on which these levers are supported shown in Fig. 5,consists of two main members E E mounted on the standard A of the mainframe bymeans of a pivotal screw F, the levers D D D and D being looselyattached to the members E E by screws or rivets, as shown in thedrawings, thus forming universal jointscapable of free movement in allplanes. The outer ends of these levers D' D D and D are provided withfour curved knives, an upper pair G and a lower pair G as seen in Figs.1 and 6, Y orking or cutting movements, vertically by the cams H H andhorizontally by the cam H, the return movement in both planes beingproduced by'springs I I and 1 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4..

Referring again to the transmitting gearing, the shaft B beingthe'prime'mover communicates motion to the shaft B by means of thespurwheels 0 O and to the shaft B by means of the bevel wheels 0 C and tothe "shaft B by the spur wheels 0 O and to the vertical shaft B by thebevel wheels 0 O Referring ncxt to the pit or seed holdin'g devices ofmy machine, these consist of two spurs J J 2 attached to the cranklevers K K pivoted at L, and operated by a cam H on the end of theshaftB as seen in Fig. 2. The

action of the spurs J J is intermittent, the cam H acting onlythroughout a portion of the revolution ofthe shaft B as may be seen 'inFig. 2. This permits a pause when the levers 'K' -K and spurs .l' J areexpanded, so

the fruit N can be inserted, as shown in Fig. 4.

*The' closing and side movements of the levers D D D and D are alsointermittent for the same reason, 7 the vertical movement being governedby the cams H H and the lateral movement by the d ouble cam H betweenthe levers D D D D producing also a still period or pause in thefollowing manner:

The'bevel wheel 0 on the shaft B has a blank space at one side in whichthe teeth are omitted, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, permitting the verticalshaft B and the double cam H to remain at rest during such portion ofthe revolution of the shaft B as the omitted teeth in the wheel 0 maydetermine.

' Referring next to the manner of operating, when the cams H H are inthe position shown in Fig. 1, and the levels D D D and D are expanded ina vertical plane by means of the springs 1 and are pressed closetogether sidewise, as in Figs. 2 and 4, by the springs I 1 the fruit Nis inserted as seen in Fig. 4. The cams H and H then engage the levers DD D and D pressing them together, the pair of upper knives G, and thepair of lower knives G acting each as one edge, severing the pulp aroundthe center of the fruit N down to the pit or seed P. At the same timethe cam H engages the levers K K which move forward, and the spurs J J 2penetrate the pulp of the fruit N seizing the pit or seed P at each end.At this point the wheel 0 engages the wheel 0 turning the cam H forciblyexpanding the levers D D D and D horizontally, the knives G G strippingoff the pulp of the fruit N each way, leaving the pit P between the endsof the spurs J J The spurs J J then recede by action of the springs O 0and by release of the cam H, and the two halves of the pulp are strippedoff the spurs K K by the guards Q Q, and fall on the chutes R and rollinto a receptacle below, the seed or p'it P falling into a box or vesselS.

The fruit N can be fed to the machine by hand or with suitable apparatusacting automatically for that purpose, the operation of the machinebeing in that case continuous and rapid.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of two pairs ofindependent knives or cutters having both a vertical and a horizontalmovement, a universal joint which permits said movements, and a verticalrevoluble double cam between the cutters which operates to laterallyexpand the members of the pairs, substantially as described.

2. In a fruit pitting machine, two pairs of cutters or knives to scorethe fruit around the center; hinged levers to support the cutters orknives, a double cam between the levers to prod uce lateral movementthereof, and strip the pulp off the fruit each way from the seed or pit,in the manner substantially as described and the cams acting upon theupper pair of levers and also upon the lower pair of levers for thepurpose of bringing them and the cutters together.

3. In a fruit-pitting machine, four scoring knives or cutters to severthe pulp of the fruitinto two parts, mounted on hinged levers that movein both a vertical and horizontal plane; revoluble cams between andoperating all the levers and the knives thereon simultaneously to severand strip the pulp from the pit or seed, in the manner and for thepurposes substantially as specified.

4. In a fruit-pitting machine, the combination of pairs of movablelevers and cutting knives thereon, hinged to move vertically andhorizontally so as to score and strip the pulp from the pit or seed ofthe fruit; revoluble cams to move the levers and knives intermittently,vertically and horizontally scoring, and then stripping the pulp fromthe pit or seed of the fruit, in the manner and for the purposessubstantially as described and shown.

5. In a fruit-pitting machine, the combination of scoring and strippingknives or cutters operating intermittently by cams, in the mannerdescribed; spurs to penetrate the pulp, seize and hold the pit or seed,operated by a cam whose shaft has a gear engaged by a segmental toothwheel, permitting a pause and relative movement of the spurs in respectto the scoring and stripping knives or cutters, in the manner and forthe purposes substantially as described and shown.

6. In a fruit-pitting machine, the combina tion of hinged levers andknives or cutters to score and strip the pulp from the fruit in themanner described g'twopivoted brackets turning on a common center andthe levers hinged thereto, so as to permit free movement of the leversand knives in two planes, and thus score and then strip the pulp fromthepit or seed of the fruit, in the manner substantially and for thepurposes specified.

7. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of an upper pair ofscoring and stripping knives or cutters, a lower pair of similar knivesor cutters, spurs to seize and hold the pit or seed, a revoluble cambetween the knives for causing their lateral expansion, cams acting tobring the knives together vertically, and gearing connections to producecoincident motion of the several parts of the mechanism, substantiallyas described.

8. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of pairs of knives orcutters capable of both a vertical and a horizontal movement,a verticalcam device which is revoluble for the purpose of causing lateralmovement of the cutter a cam device for actuating the upper pair ofcutters, a cam device for actuating the lower pair of cutters, and agearing mechanism whereby the several cams operate simultaneously toproduce the proper movement of the cutters, substantially as described.

9. In a fruitpitting machine, the combination of pairs of knives orcutters, the hinged levers for supporting them, a universal joint whichpermits a vertical and a horizontal movement of the levers and cutters,a double cam between the levers for causing a lateral movement thereof,a cam device for actuating the upper pair of cutters, and a cam devicefor actuating the lower pair, and springs for restoring the cutters totheir normal po sition, substantially as described.

10. In a fruit pitting mach'ne, the combination of knives or cuttershaving both a vertical and a horizontal movement, a revoluble cambetween and operating said knives, a cam device for actuating the upperpair of out ters,a cam device for operatingthelower pair In testimonywhereof I have hereunto afof cutters, springs for restoring them totheir fixed my signature in the presence of two witnormal position,spurs which penetrate the nesses.

pulp and hold the seed, mechanism for oper- SYRANUS STANDISH. 5 atingsaid spurs, and gearing connections Witnesses:

whereby the several mechanical parts oper- C. D. ALLEN,

L. T. ALLEN.

ate in unison as specified.

